When director Pandiraj was casting for Pasanga , which would become his ticket to fame, he had one of his child leads ready. Sree Raam, all of 12, was set to play the ‘baddie’. He’d grown out his hair, polished his attitude and was ready to mow down any opposition in school.
The other ‘hero’, an anti-thesis to Sree, had to be found. That was when Pandiraj was told about Kishore, a 14-year-old who was learning dance. The audition was simple. “I was shown Sree’s photo and asked what I felt. ‘Fear’, I said. I was chosen,” laughs Kishore, now 22, sitting at his favourite haunt Costa Coffee in his pettai , Besant Nagar.
Sree joins in the fun. “Did I look that scary?” he asks, before he remembers his look — angry face and flared nostrils. The kids went on to become great friends on the set, wowed all and went on to bag the National Award too. In the years that followed, they’ve continued to team up for films, including the blockbuster Goli Soda . Their latest as a team is the upcoming Sagaa , whose single ‘Sevulu Kizhiyum’ is ruling the popularity charts. The actors play extended cameos in it.
The boys could not have charted their lives more differently, but when they meet, they get back to being the kids they were less than a decade ago.
If Kishore completed schooling and is still working out how to go to college and continue being an actor, Sree bid goodbye to formal education with Class II. “Whatever I’ve learnt after that is from the world, on the sets, and the Internet. If anything interesting catches my eye, I go back and read up on it. This is fun too,” he says.
Kishore, on the other hand, had to choose between higher education and shooting schedules. The latter won. “I do hope to go on and do a course in fashion designing or a field associated with films. I’m very clear that while I love what I’m doing, I need a back-up.”
Sree, 20, does not walk the back-up path. Films are his life. And, of late, farming. “Films consume me, but I’m a full-fledged farmer when not shooting. The family moved from Chennai to Chettimandapam near Kumbakonam earlier this year, and we grow coconuts, rice, vegetables, herbs… I’m very comfortable with working the field now, and can swing the manvetti (hoe) with ease. My chosen working costume is my pair of Bermuda shorts,” he laughs.
Sree wants to live an eco-friendly life, as far as possible. A change he attributes to what he reads in his free time. “It’s a conscious choice. And, it takes time, but we eventually settle down to a rhythm dictated by Nature,” he says.
While Sree comes across as the more animated person in films, in real life, he’s a lamb. “I take the lead in mischief,” confesses Kishore. “He’s almost like a younger brother and is the quiet sort. He’ll chat and laugh at jokes, but once the director calls for ‘action’, he transforms into something else. Sree Raam, the actor, fascinates me,” he adds.
Of the two, Sree has pitted his talent against more experienced actors, especially in Papanasam , where he worked with Kamal Haasan. “Everyone was anxious for me, but I did not let it affect me. I was delighted when Sir told me I’d done a good job.”
When the entire gang of Pasanga gets together, like it did for Goli Soda , the sets are a riot. “We discuss our scenes, offer suggestions, even come up with ‘counters’ different from those in the dialogue sheet. We have a good time off screen and it shows on screen too,” says Kishore.
The two have picked up technical knowledge also. Kishore speaks of learning nuances of the camera during the making of Goli Soda. “Till then, I merely followed instructions. Now, I know that I’ve got a chance many others don’t have, and that I must use it well.”
Sree says the industry has kept the family fires burning from the beginning — his father is an assistant director — and he knows that as long as he respects it and holds it close to his heart, it will not let him down.
If Sree banks on farming to help maintain his physique, Kishore is the city-slicker; the gym is his temple. He’s a regular with exercise, and hitting Bessie beach. “This is where I’ve lived all my life. I have so many friends. I can take you to the choicest places on Bessie,” he smiles.
He also loves billiards. Sree was a regular too, till he shifted base. “Start a billiards club there da ,” says Kishore. “No way. I’ve just learnt to reconnect with the Earth. I want to be someone who’ll tell farmers looking at urban migration that we’ve come back, you don’t leave now.”
Do they rue the fact that they lost out on a regular childhood, and skipped teen crushes and racing hearts? No, they say in unison. “To each, his own. This is our life. We are happy with it. We make friends on the sets, and move on. Some friends stay for life. Like Sree and the rest of the Pasanga boys,” says Kishore. “I’ve learnt so much in the industry. This is a rare opportunity. We’d be stupid if we questioned this,” says Sree.
Is there anything they’ll change in their lives? “Nothing,” says Kishore, who’s completed work on Kamban Kazhagam and Edhirkol . “I hope to complete my graduation. The ECR stamp on the passport irks me,” says Sree, whose upcoming films are Pandiaatam and Café .
Joint filmography
Pasanga
Goli Soda
Vajram
Sagaa
